


Her Name Was Lacey

by EstelleDusk



Series: Ten Blasted Years of Waiting [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2013-09-12
Packaged: 2017-12-26 09:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstelleDusk/pseuds/EstelleDusk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gold is reminiscing in his shop when he gets an unexpected visitor in the form of a distraught little boy</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Name Was Lacey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HyourinmaruIce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyourinmaruIce/gifts).



The light ringing of the bell in the front of his shop causes Mr. Gold to sigh. He had flipped his shop sign to “CLOSED” for a reason. He wasn’t up to socializing with anyone today, but he knew he still had to come into work. Even his false memories made today out to be a particularly bad day for him.

Rumplestiltskin forces himself to gently put down the chipped cup he was polishing. Reaching for his cane, he slowly stands and calls out from the backroom. “Shop’s closed, dearie! Come back tomorrow or I’ll raise your rent!”

He’s halfway to the heavy purple curtain separating the backroom from the shop itself, when a tiny brunet head sticks itself through the curtain. “You can’t raise my rent, I haven’t bought anything from you lately.”

Mr. Gold blinks, having expected that Regina would have kept a tighter leash on her boy today of all days. “Henry? I wasn’t expecting you...” the pawnbroker lets his eyes stray to the clock nearby. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“I was...” the mayor’s boy replies, before completely entering the backroom. The 8-year-old rubs the back of his head. “But...we learned something today in class and...”

“Oh? What did you learn that would prompt you to miss geography with Mr. Necium? I have it on good authority that his Friday stories about Africa are one of your favorite lessons of the day.” Mr. Gold knows he should be sending the boy back to school, but he admits that he could use a distraction today. So instead he pulls out a stool for the boy to climb on, and then he sits back on his own stool.

Henry climbs on top of the stool without any help and bites his lower lip. His eyes are facing the ground when he speaks. “I heard about the librarian...today is the day she died, right? My mom...she said you knew her. There was an assembly today in school. About Stranger Danger. And...she didn’t really jump, did she? The way she was described, she sounded wonderful. And I just can’t believe that you would push her like I heard some people say. She sounded like she would have been your best friend. And...and...Gramps, you’re not like that!” He looks up at the pawnbroker who’s helped take care of him all these years.

Rumplestiltskin isn’t sure what part to address first. The fact that the citizens of Storybrooke believe he pushed his beloved Belle from the tower her father threw her in, the fact that he was brought up in a presentation about stranger danger, or the fact that Henry had once again called him grandpa. He supposes it’s a good thing Regina wasn’t here like the last time Henry said that. That was after all the reason he wasn’t allowed to babysit the boy anymore.

“Henry...her name was...Lacey French. We didn’t really know each other...I owned her apartment, the one above the library, so we would exchange words. And she was...quite the fetching young woman. But she was nervous around me, and the only tenet I ever stayed away from, to make her comfortable, you understand. I wish...I wish we had been friends, perhaps she wouldn’t have thrown herself from the clocktower if she had a friend. She didn’t get along with her father you see. I still don’t know what possessed me to give her a lowered rent and a job. But never did I touch her. Yes, there is danger from strangers, my boy, but you have no need to fear me. Let the others believe what they wish, my reputation as a rough and scary man is what allows us to have these little chats, you know. People only come to see me when they have no where else to turn.”

“So you didn’t push her?” Henry’s young mind quickly latches onto what he considers the most important bits of what Mr. Gold said. “And you wanted to be her friend?”

“Correct.” Mr. Gold nods. Rumplestiltskin bites his lip so he doesn’t say exactly what he wanted to be to Belle. Even the imp knows there are some things you don’t mention in the presence of children, no matter how true they are.

“You know...I think you should find a new Lacey. Someone to be your friend. I can’t be your only friend, I’m just a kid. You need a friend your age. Maybe a girlfriend. Then she could spoil me too. Oh! And she has to have a pretty name, and bake cookies since your cookies are always burnt.” Henry replies with a wide grin, his mind having quickly left behind sadder thoughts.

“Well I can’t very well be good at everything, now can I, son? And I...don’t need a girlfriend. Now, I think you’ve missed enough class for today. Let me drive you back to school.” Mr. Gold bites his lip as he gets to his feet again.

“Alright...” Henry allows himself to be drawn from his stool, and allow Mr. Gold to gently lead him from the shop, the pawnbroker uses his hand on the boy’s shoulder to accomplish this.

“One more thing...”

“Yeah?”

“You know you’re not supposed to call me grandpa. What if your mother heard?”

“Okay...”


End file.
